Wednesday, February 7, marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (#NBHAAD) 2024. This year’s theme is, “Engage, Educate, Empower: Uniting to End HIV/AIDS in Black Communities.” Search the hashtag online to fine countless awareness campaigns, educational events and other happenings. Several examples are included throughout this article.

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (#NBHAAD). This year, we’re elevating the theme, Engage, Educate,...

Posted by Illinois HIV Care Connect on Wednesday, February 7, 2024

HIV disproportionately affects the African-American community. In 2021, Black Americans comprised 13% of the U.S. population but made up 40% of new HIV diagnoses that year. Similarly, they make up 40% of all people living with HIV in the nation, according to AIDSVu.com, which uses federal data to create interactive maps and sharable graphics about the HIV epidemic.

The site also includes a NBHAAD-related interview with Charles Stephens, the founder and executive director of The Counter Narrative Project, about changing the narrative fr Black gay and bisexual men.

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day! What new information or insight did you gain from this infographic? #NBHAAD

Posted by Daniel D Driffin on Wednesday, February 7, 2024

A few other data points included in AIDSVu’s NHAAD graphics include:

  • In 2021, fewer Black people (62%) living with HIV were virally suppressed than their white counterparts (72%).

  • Black women experience even greater disparities in HIV-related health outcomes than Black men. The rate of Black women living with diagnosed HIV was 16.6 time that of white women in 2021.

  • Disparities are higher in the South. In 2021, Black people accounted for nearly half of all new HIV diagnoses in the South (49%), despite accounting for 19% of the Southern population.

  • Progress has been made, especially in testing. In 2021, Black people had the highest percentage of people that have ever been tested for HIV (56%) of any race/ethnicity. In comparison, the national average was just 35%.

  • Despite accounting for 40% of new diagnoses in 2021, Black people represented 14% of PrEP users in 2022.

PrEP refers to pre-exposure prophylaxis, the daily pill or long-acting injectables that are highly effective at keeping HIV-negative people from contracting the virus.

For additional information, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a NBHAAD toolkit, complete with graphics you can download and sample social media posts you can share. HIV.gov has published several related blogs posts, including one with numerous resources and a profile on Ada Stewart, MD.

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For related articles, click #African American, where you’ll find “A Revealing Look at HIV Hot Spots in the Alabama Black Belt,” “Black People Make Up 82% of HIV Crime Cases in Maryland” and a profile on HIV advocate and doctor Leo Moore, who was crowned “The 2024 Ultimate Guy” by Men’s Health magazine.